After China’s successful deployment of electric buses (eBuses), with over 300,000 in operation today, widescale adoption of eBuses in Europe is near. Where European cities initially focused on pilot projects, now commercial roll-out is ongoing. Nonetheless, there is still a lot of uncertainty around eBus battery charging strategies and the optimal type of charging hardware, mainly related to costs and operational flexibility.
The main advantages of eBuses versus diesel alternatives are the environmental benefits in terms of exhaust emissions and air quality and the lower total cost of ownership (TCO). The lower TCO is a result of the lower cost per kilometer for running on electricity compared to diesel—although currently the battery cost still results in a higher overall acquisition price. Because of these benefits, governments are setting targets to accelerate adoption, such as The Netherlands mandating 100% sales of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) public transport buses by 2025, followed by 100% ZEV fleet by 2030, replacing all fossil fuel vehicles. At the regional level, cities, regions, manufacturers, and transport organizations endorsed a common ambition to accelerate the rollout of clean buses, formalized by the signing of the European Clean Bus Deployment Initiative. Besides battery electric buses, fuel cell buses are also considered clean when running on green hydrogen, but this article will not discuss this solution.
Since eBuses typically have a shorter range than diesel buses, one critical question that municipalities, transport operators, and manufacturers are still facing is where and when to charge them. This article compares the two main charging strategies: overnight charging only (depot charging) and recharging through the day (opportunity charging).
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SOURCE: McKinsey & Company
